Bears in Trees is a self described "dirtbag boyband" from south London. It … Read Full Bio ↴Bears in Trees is a self described "dirtbag boyband" from south London. It is comprised of Nick Peters (he/him, guitar, lyrics), Callum Litchfield, (he/him, piano, ukulele, vocals), George Berry (he/him, drums), and Iain Gillespie (they/them, bass, lyrics, vocals). They were signed to Counter Intuitive Records in 2020, and their debut studio album came out November 19th that year. Their musical influences include Fall Out Boy, The Front Bottoms, and The Wombats.

Rust
Bears In Trees Lyrics

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How do I explain
Or even articulate
That every day that I'm awake
Is a day I fade away
Place chicken scratch to paper
As I scratch inside my temples
For any hatch that resembles
My simple solipsistic question

So here I stand
A hollow man
A broken piece
Of god's great plan

So I get out of my head
I meet up with my friends
They say "hey dude we missed you,
Where have you been?"
But I've been bleeding, I've been bleeding
From all these senseless self beatings
And they scream "please believe it,
You are needed, you are needed!"

But when will I know it?
That I am not that piece of shit
That people look at and they wince and
Throw up a little bit
I am so cold
But they hold me in a way
That makes the pain go away
But I've been slowly building up
My sense of self from dust
I once was just a husk
Rust covered in rust covered in rust covered in rust

In reality, my sanity is hanging by a thread
But if I became balanced would my street cred be in shreds
When my identity is entirely the maniac you see
If I became healthy would I stop being me?

In reality, my sanity is hanging by a thread (slowly building up)
But if I became balanced would my street
Cred be in shreds (my sense of self from dust)
When my identity is entirely the
Maniac you see (I once was just a husk)
If I became healthy would I stop being me?
(Rust covered in rust covered in rust covered in rust)

Slowly building up
My sense of self from dust
I once was just a husk
Rust covered in rust covered in rust covered in rust
Well, here I stand (here I)
A mouth full of sand
(Why do I keep eating sand?)

Please could you hold my hand
Stop me eating the sand, stop me feeling so goddamn bad

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bears In Trees's song "Rust" explore the mental turmoil of the singer, who is struggling with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. The chorus of the song expresses the desire to overcome these negative emotions and build up a sense of self-worth, but the verses delve into the complicated psychological journey required to achieve that goal.

In the opening lines, the singer expresses the difficulty of articulating the constant feeling of "fading away" that plagues them. They compare their attempts to express their emotions to "chicken scratch on paper," indicating a sense of frustration and futility. The reference to "simple solipsistic questions" adds to the feeling of isolation and self-absorption present throughout the song.

The second verse further explores the singer's struggle to connect with others and form healthy relationships, as they question whether their friends would still accept them if they were no longer struggling with mental health issues. The repetition of the phrase "slowly building up / my sense of self from dust" is a powerful metaphor for the process of self-improvement, and the repeated imagery of rust highlights how difficult it can be to clear away the mental debris that accumulates over time.

Overall, "Rust" is a deeply personal and introspective song that touches on universal themes of self-doubt and the struggle to maintain mental health.

Line by Line Meaning

How do I explain
The struggle to put into words the feeling of fading away every single day.

Or even articulate
Even if I could explain it, I doubt my ability to put it into words.

That every day that I'm awake
This fading feeling is constant and present every day.

Is a day I fade away
Each passing day, I feel more and more disconnected from myself.

Place chicken scratch to paper
I try to write down my thoughts, but they're only scribbles and scrawls.

As I scratch inside my temples
I search my mind for answers, but find nothing but more questions.

For any hatch that resembles
I look for any glimmer of hope, no matter how small.

My simple solipsistic question
My question is simple, yet feels like it's only relevant to me.

So here I stand
Despite feeling lost, I am still here.

A hollow man
I feel empty and disconnected from myself.

A broken piece
I am damaged and flawed.

Of god's great plan
I question if there is a bigger purpose to it all.

So I get out of my head
I distract myself from my thoughts and try to escape my own mind.

I meet up with my friends
I seek comfort in the company of others.

They say "hey dude we missed you,
My friends show me that I am cared for and missed.

Where have you been?"
They wonder where I've been and why I haven't been around.

But I've been bleeding, I've been bleeding
I've been struggling and hurting.

From all these senseless self beatings
I've been self-destructive and harmful to myself.

And they scream "please believe it,
My friends try to encourage me and convince me that I am important.

You are needed, you are needed!"
They stress that I am necessary and valued in their lives.

But when will I know it?
I wonder when I will truly believe that I am important and needed.

That I am not that piece of shit
I want to stop feeling like the worthless person that others view me as.

That people look at and they wince and
I am aware of how others view me and I am ashamed.

Throw up a little bit
The disgust that people feel towards me is tangible.

I am so cold
I feel emotionally numb and detached.

But they hold me in a way
My friends offer me emotional support and comfort.

That makes the pain go away
Their presence helps alleviate my emotional pain.

But I've been slowly building up
Slowly but surely, I am improving myself.

My sense of self from dust
I am rebuilding my identity from nothing.

I once was just a husk
I was empty and devoid of meaning.

Rust covered in rust covered in rust covered in rust
My old self was rusty, but now I am slowly shedding that old skin.

In reality, my sanity is hanging by a thread
I am barely holding onto my sanity and mental health.

But if I became balanced would my street
I worry that if I become mentally balanced, I will lose my identity and sense of self.

Cred be in shreds
My street credibility and reputation may suffer if I no longer embody the manic, unstable person I currently am.

When my identity is entirely the
My current identity is entirely synonymous with being unstable and unbalanced.

Maniac you see
I am perceived as a maniac and I worry that this is all people will ever see me as.

If I became healthy would I stop being me?
I question whether or not I can truly be myself if I become mentally healthy and stable.

A mouth full of sand
I feel like I am constantly struggling, like I am desperately trying to breathe despite having a mouthful of sand.

Why do I keep eating sand?
I question why I keep making these self-destructive choices.

Please could you hold my hand
I am asking for someone to help me, to guide me through this difficult time.

Stop me eating the sand, stop me feeling so goddamn bad
I am pleading for someone to stop me from making these self-destructive choices and to help me feel better.

Writer(s): George David Berry, Nicholas Peters, Callum Litchfield, Iain Joseph Gillespie

Contributed by Ruby F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@itzalicorn

52w↑1

[Intro]
Woah, woah

[Verse 1]
How do I explain
Or even articulate
That every day that I'm awake
Is a day I fade away
Place chicken scratch to paper
As I scratch inside my temple
For any hatch that resembles
My simple solipsistic question

[Chorus]
So here I stand
A hollow man
A broken piece
Of God’s great plan

[Post-Chorus]
Woah, woah

[Verse 2]
So I get out of my head
And meet up with my friends
They say, "Hey dude, we missed you
Where have you been?"
But I've been bleeding, I've been bleeding
From all these senseless self beatings
And they scream, "Please believe it
You are needed, you are needed"

[Verse 3]
But when will I know it?
That I am not that piece of shit!
That people look at and they wince and
Throw up a little bit
I am so cold
But they hold me in a way
That makes the pain go away

[Chorus]
But I’ve been slowly building up
My sense of self from dust
I once was just a husk
Rust covered in rust, covered in rust, covered in rust

[Bridge]
In reality, my sanity is hanging by a thread
But if I became balanced, would my street cred be in shreds?
When my identity is entirely the maniac you see
If I became healthy, would I stop being me?
In reality, my sanity is hanging by a thread (I'm slowly building up)
But if I became balanced, would my street cred be in shreds (My sense of self from dust)
When my identity is entirely the maniac you see (I once was just a husk)
If I became healthy, would I stop being me? (Rust covered in rust, covered in rust, covered in rust)

[Chorus]
Slowly building up
My sense of self from dust
I once was just a husk
Rust covered in rust, covered in rust, covered in rust
Well, here I stand (Here I)
A mouth full of sand (Why do I keep eating sand?)
Please could you hold my hand?
Stop me eating the sand, stop me feeling so goddamn bad